Reeler plug



A ril 25, 1967 J. A. MILNES REELER PLUG Filed Aug. 27, 1964 JAMES FIG. 2

INVENT A. MIL

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,315,515 REELER PLUG James Arthur Milnes, 517 Zelienople Road, Ellwood City, Pa. 16117 Filed Aug. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 392,465 Claims. (Cl. 72-463) This invention relates to apparatus for making seamless steel tubes and more particularly to a water-cooled bar point which is especially designed and suited for use in the reeler pass of the seamless tube mill. I have heretofore proposed, as in my US. Patent No. 3,049,947, to provide for a detachable water-cooled bar point which is especially suited for use at the piercing station of the seamless tube mill, and the present invention provides a distinctive improvement over the structure heretofore proposed both as to simplification and material improvement in ruggedness, making the apparatus particularly suited for use in the reeler stand, as aforesaid.

Considering the severe conditions of service to which devices of the subject nature are commonly put, it is at once apparent that making the plugs or points hollow for water-cooling purposes weakens the devices structurally to the point that they are more likely to be crushed out of round. It is accordingly one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide for the Water cooling of the bar point or reeler plug without appreciably weakening the device structurally whereby the device is capable of reasonably long periods of service without replacement.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved means for automatically dropping off the bar point or reeler plug from the elongated mandrel bar which carries it either under willful control of an operator or entirely automatically if and when the reeler plug or 'bar point reaches a damaging high temperature either through excessive use or failure of the cooling water supply. In this aspect, the invention also provides an improved arrangement for latching on the new reeler plug or bar point onto the mandrel bar whereby less time is consumed and a higher rate of production is obtained from the mill. As pointed out in my prior United States patent aforementioned, the prior practice has been in the operation of seamless tube'mills to periodically replace both the mandrel bar and the plug or point when the same have obtained a damaging high temperature. When using the patented device, as well as the device of the present invention, this is not necessary because the continuous water cooling keeps both the bar and the plug or point normally at a safe temperature. However, the plug or point is subjected to serve abrasion and wear and must be replaced from time to time in the operation of the mill. In a manner to be hereinafter more fully described, this replacement of the plug or point is greatly facilitated by the present invention.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section taken through a reeler plug and mounting therefor constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse section through the structure of FIGURE 1, the view being taken along the line 1111 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top view of a portion of the apparatus of FIGURE 1.

In the drawing, reference numeral designates the end portion of an elongated tube-like mandrel bar which is internally threaded at 11 adjacent its free end. It will be understood by those familiar with seamless tube manufacturing equipment that the opposite end of the bar 10 Will be rotatably received in a slide mounted for long longitudinal movement whereby after a tube blank is worked between the reeler rolls and onto the mandrel bar 10, the mandrel bar and plug may be withdrawn from the workpiece allowing the same to be removed from the equipment for further heating or other'purpose.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, I provide a bar cap 12 which has a threaded shank 13 received within the threads 11 and which is used to mount the reeler plug which is shown generally at 14. For this latter purpose, the cap 12 has an extended portion 15 of reduced diameter which is preferably but not necessarily integral with the principal body portion of the cap 12. As shown, the extension 15 has an outer portion having an outer cylindrical surface 16 of uniform diameter and an inner portion of slightly larger diameter in which is machined an annular groove 17. Traversing this groove 17 is a longitudinally extending slot 18 for receiving a pivoted latch member 19.

The reeler plug 14 is a deep cup-shaped steel member having a thick cylindrical side wall 20 and a heavy end Wall 21. Adjacent the opened end of the plug is an internal annular rib 22 adapted to engage the latch member 19 when the latter is in radially outward position as shown in dotted lines in FIGURES 1. Also, integrally formed with the wall 20 of the plug 14 is an internal elongated spiral rib 23 which rides on the cylindrical surface 16, it being obvious that the plug 14 may rotate on the extension 15 and may be removed therefrom in a longitudinal sliding direction upon the radially inward retraction of r the latch bar 19. As shown, the latch bar 19 is pivoted in the slot 18 on a pin 24.

Lying concentrically within the tube 10 and projecting through a bore formed in the extension 15 of the cap 12 is a small-diameter tube 25 through which cooling water may be forced under pressure into the hollow reeler plug 14 for return back through the annular space lying outside the tube 25 but within the tublar bar 10. To allow for the return of this coolant the internal diameter of the rib 22 of the plug is somewhat larger than the external diameter of the portion of the extension 15 over which this rib fits and a series of circumferentially spaced holes 26 are provided in the cap 12 to allow passage of the coolant which escapes rearwardly past the cylindrical inner face of the groove 22.

Referring now again to the spiral rib 23, it will be obvious that there is a spiral interstice between the rib convolutions through which water issuing from the end of the tube 25 and into the closed end portion of the plug 14 will flow in a spiral path in wiping proximity to the inner surface or surfaces of the side wall 20 of the plug. From this interstice the Water issues into the annular space about the groove 17 of the projection 15. Rigidly secured to the base of this groove 17 by means of screws 27, for example, is an opened ring-like bimetallic element 28, the free end of which is received within an aperture 29 formed within the latch bar 19 adjacent its operative and free swinging end. The orientation of the metals in the ring 28 is such that when the water in the plug 14 and engulfing the ring 28 is cool, the ring will expand and hold the latch 19 to radially outward position where it will be engaged by the rib 22 of the plug 14. When the water heats up as when, for example, the supply coming into the tube 25 is temporarily shut off the ring will contract to draw in the latch 19 and permit the plug to slide off the extension 15.

In the use of the apparatus described above, it will be recognized that the plug 14 mounted on the end of the bar will be positioned in the pass of the reeler rolls of the seamless tube making equipment preparatory to re ceiving the leading end of a hollow tube blank. Cooling water will normally be continuously supplied to the tube. 25'iand thus to the plug 14. As the skewed working rolls 4 of the reeler stand engage the workpiece, the workpiece will be rotated and fed forwardly over the plug 14 and thence onto the mandrel 10. As stated above, the mandrel 7 the hand of the spiral rib 23 such in relation to the skew of the working rolls of the reeler stand that rotation of the plug will assist rather than impedethe flow of water longitudinally through the spiral labyrinth formed by the rib 23.

- The spiral rib 23 performs a number of extremely use-' ful functions. First, it provides a path for the return or recirculating flow of the cooling water and, secondly, it

directs the flow of this coolant into efiicient intimate wiping contact with the inner surfaces of the side wall of the plug for maximum heat transfer. In this connection, it should be noted that the side surfaces of the rib 23 greatly increases the over-all heat transfer surfaces for maximum cooling. The longitudinal region of the rib 23 is so located in the pass of the mill that maximum heat and abrasion is imparted to the plug at this point. Thirdly, the elongated rib 23 acts as an effective bearing to resist the crushing of the plug under extreme conditions of service.

When it is observed that a particular plug is becoming excessively overheated or is too badly worn for further service, the operator simply shuts off the flow. of water through the tube 25 for a short interval as he may do with the use of remote controls now commonplace in seamless tube mill layouts, and this action very quickly causes heating of the thermostatic element 28 and retraction of the latch 19. At the next retractive movement of the mandrel 10, the plug will simply drop ofi the end of it and remain lying in the mill. Upon retrieval of the worn or over-heated plug, a cool replacement plug may be inserted in the mill for automatic connection to the free end of the mandrel 10 as the latter advances preparatory to receiving the next succeeding workpiece.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A plug assembly for the mandrel of a reeler stand of a seamless tube mill and adapted to be secured to the end of a hollow mandrel bar comprising a bar cap, said cap having an integral extended portion of reduced diameter, a bore through said extended portion adapted to slideably receive the free end of a water-conducting tube which extends concentrically through said bar, a hollow plug opened at one end received on said extended portion and having an integral spiraled rib overlying said extended portion of the cap and in contact therewith whereby said extended portion resists collapse of said plug while allow ing water to circulate circumferentially and longitudinally 4 within said plug, and said cap having a plurality of circumferentially spaced but longitudinally extending passages radially interrnediate'said extended portion and the cylindrical wall of the plug to permit cooling water to flow from the spiral passage formed by said rib back into the hollow mandrel bar outside of'said tube.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further including an annular stop on the inner surface of said plug adjacent its opened end, a latch hinged to said extended portion and movable from a retracted position whereby said extended portion is fully insertable in said plug to a radially outward position for engaging the inner end surface of. said stop whereby said plug is restrained from removalfrom said extended portion, and a bimetallic element carried by said extended portion for operating said latch in accordance with the temperature of the cooling water being returned through said plug.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 further characterized in that said extended portion is provided with an annular groove and in that said latch is a longitudinally elongated member which spans said groove, and said bimetallic element being a ring-like member which is rigidly secured at one end to the base of said annular groove and which lies within said annular groove and has its free operative end connected with said latch for actuating the same.

4. A plug and plug mounting assembly for the mandrel of a reeler stand of a seamless tube mill comprising a hollow cylindrical extension on said mandrel bar and having passageways therein whereby a liquid coolant can flow from the space circumferentially surrounding said extension into the end portion of said hollow bar, acoolantconducting tube received within said bar and adapted to conduct coolant through the opening in said extension, a hollow cup-shaped plug received on said extension and having an integral spiraled rib on its inner surface overlying said extension and in contact therewith whereby said extension resists collapse of said plug while allowing coolant to circulate circumferen-tially and longitudinally within said plug, the arrangement being such that coolant issuing from said tube into the closed end of said plug may circulate between the convolutions of said spiraled :rib and through said passageways back into said hollow mandrel bar.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 further including a" retractable latch to retain said plug on said extension, and

ing through said plug to actuate said latch, the arrangement being such that said plug may be dropped off said extension upon control of the How of coolant through said plug during normal operation of the reeler stand.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1934 Dunn 72-463- 1,9s9,s07 1/1935 Diescher 72-463 3,049,947

WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primdry Examiner.

H. L, HINSON, Examiner.

8/1962 Milnes .72463 

1. A PLUG ASSEMBLY FOR THE MANDREL OF A REELER STAND OF A SEAMLESS TUBE MILL AND ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE END OF A HOLLOW MANDREL BAR COMPRISING A BAR CAP, SAID CAP HAVING AN INTEGRAL EXTENDED PORTION OF REDUCED DIAMETER, A BORE THROUGH SAID EXTENDED PORTION ADAPTED TO SLIDEABLY RECEIVE THE FREE END OF A WATER-CONDUCTING TUBE WHICH EXTENDS CONCENTRICALLY THROUGH SAID BAR, A HOLLOW PLUG OPENED AT ONE END RECEIVED ON SAID EXTENDED PORTION AND HAVING AN INTEGRAL SPIRALED RIB OVERLYING SAID EXTENDED PORTION OF THE CAP AND IN CONTACT THEREWITH WHEREBY SAID EXTENDED PORTION RESISTS COLLAPSE OF SAID PLUG WHILE ALLOWING WATER TO CIRCULATE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND LONGITUDINALLY WITHIN SAID PLUG, AND SAID CAP HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED BUT LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PASSAGES RADIALLY INTERMEDIATE SAID EXTENDED PORTION AND THE CYLINDRICAL WALL OF THE PLUG TO PERMIT COOLING WATER TO FLOW FROM THE SPIRAL PASSAGE FORMED BY SAID RIB BACK INTO THE HOLLOW MANDREL BAR OUTSIDE OF SAID TUBE. 